Bulatlat condemns the series of harassment and veiled threats against our election contributor Kaizzer Manuba. 

On May 14, at around 7:30 p.m., police officer Jun Benedicto Colorado of the Imus City Police and his wife went to the barangay where Ms. Manuba resides, and filed a complaint against Ms. Manuba for allegedly violating the Data Privacy Act. 

The complaint stemmed from a report sent by Ms. Manuba to Bulatlat, which the media outfit posted on its Facebook page. The post (with timestamp May 12, 5:26 p.m.) read: 

‘Vote straight po tayo, ah?,’ says group of people distributing sample ballots just outside General Emilio Aguinaldo National High School in Imus, Cavite. Two policemen were also sighted in the polling precinct. #Halalan2025 #VoteReportPH

Photos and report by Kaizzer Angela Marie Manuba/Bulatlat

One photo shows the sample ballots and the other photo shows two policemen seated behind a table. 

Colorado’s wife told Ms. Manuba that the photo ruined her husband’s reputation, and if not taken down, they would file charges against the Bulatlat contributor. 

Bulatlat refuses to take down the report. This decision is the collective prerogative of the Bulatlat editorial board and not of any individual reporter, correspondent, or editor, independent of any influence by any governmental authority. Being able to exercise such a prerogative is guaranteed under the Philippine Constitution. As such, a demand from the police to take down content infringes on the editorial prerogative of our newsroom. It cannot be denied that such a demand constitutes censorship and violates our freedom of expression and of the press.

On May 15, Bulatlat reached out to the barangay captain to inform him that all complaints should be directed to the newsroom, and not to Ms. Manuba. 

Three days later, on May 19, around 6 p.m., the policeman and his wife went to the barangay again, and threatened Ms. Manuba that she would face charges if the post was not taken down immediately.

These actions constitute harassment and violation of our right to free press and expression.  

Ms. Manuba, reporting for Bulatlat on election day, did not violate any provision of the Data Privacy Act. Section 4(d) of the said law expressly excludes the processing of personal information for journalistic purposes from its scope. Verily, a photograph taken of a public officer, in a public place, and on the occasion of an important public event for eventual publication as journalistic content cannot be a violation of the law. Moreover, merely citing that fact that police personnel are on site cannot at all be considered a defamatory imputation.

We call on the Commission on Human Rights, the Commission on Elections, the National Police Commission and the Presidential Task Force on Media Safety to investigate these incidents, and undertake necessary measures to stop Mr. Colorado and his wife from further harassing Ms. Manuba and her family.